The stars of the heralded New England girls Class of 2025 have taken their first-day-of-school pics and started the college basketball journey. That means we're just two short months from seeing them compete at the next level.
We have 36 Division 1 athletes in our 2025 database, including New England natives and New England prep school stars, who are capable of succeeding. But the standard to earn rotation minutes as a freshman has never been higher. I'm only listing one third of those talents with a good chance to earn playing time this winter.
I tried a similar exercise last year and did fairly well. Seven of my ten freshman picks averaged at least 10 minutes per game, with the most productive being Patriot League All-Rookie member Cecilia Kay (now at St. Joseph's) and Purdue starting center Lana McCarthy. But I also missed on some big-time contributors like Mary Gibbons at Navy and Camryn Collins at Rider (now at Northeastern).
This list does not represent my top 12 college prospects for the 2025 class. It importantly takes into account the pathway for playing time on the current roster — veterans returning, transfer additions and program needs, in addition to players' talent. Here are the 12 freshmen I'm banking on carving out an early role (plus some honorable mentions).
Ava Black, Vanderbilt
5-11 guard/forward
Tabor/Auburn, N.H.
Black was an awesome two-way wing at Tabor, making her return from a PCL injury to star as a senior and land on our All-Class AAA Second Team. Vanderbilt lost starters Iyana Moore and Khamil Pierre to the transfer portal, graduated a few players further down in the rotation and just announced guard Madison Greene will miss the entire season due to injury. The Commodores might need Black to hold down a guard or wing spot quickly, where her toughness and defense should translate. Black could really assert herself if she's consistent as an off-ball scorer. Vanderbilt will entertain no matter what thanks to superstar Mikayla Blakes; we'll see how often Black shares the floor with her as a freshman.
Bailey Breen, Maine
6-3 forward
Montverde/South Thomaston, Maine
We haven't seen much of Breen because she was a rare New England prospect who left the region, joining national powerhouse Montverde (Fla.) last season. But she's back in her home state and a huge get for the Black Bears, who stay winning with in-state recruits. Breen is one of two post players 6-1 or taller on the roster along with junior transfer Lizzy Gruber, so there's a pretty clear path to minutes. She's physically ready for the college game and valuable as a floor-spacing big. Keep an eye on Mackenzie Mori (Hamden Hall/Wethersfield, Conn.) as another New England freshman on the team.
Kaelyn Carroll, Kentucky
6-3 guard/forward
Tabor/Dedham, Mass.
Carroll ended high school ranked No. 18 in the 2025 class by ESPN and is the crown jewel of coach Kenny Brooks' first recruiting class at Kentucky. Brooks assuredly has big plans for Carroll and he's spoken glowingly about her over the summer. She's one of the highest-profile prospects from New England in recent years and will help Kentucky be a fixture in the March Madness conversation.
"She shoots the basketball as well as anybody that I’ve seen. Her IQ is really high,” Brooks said in July. “Those are the things that we covet. When we got her, we knew it was special because not only did we think she was going to help us on the floor, we felt like she was going to help us in recruiting, in the locker room. She is a seamless fit with her attitude, and she’s a lot of fun to be around.”
Jasmyn Cooper and Camdyn Nelson, Syracuse
Cooper: 6-1 guard/forward, Nobles/Easton, Mass.
Nelson: 5-8 guard, St. Luke's/Greenwich, Conn.
We've got a pair of NEPSAC Players of the Year teaming up at Syracuse. This is an Orange roster in flux following a lackluster 12-18 season, with five graduated players and seven new faces, including four transfers. Junior guard Sophie Burrows is the only returner who averaged more than 15 minutes last year.
I'm confident that Cooper will find playing time right away. She's such a versatile player with college-ready size and strength, and she's the highest-ranked recruit (No. 60) of the Felisha Leggette-Jack era at Syracuse so far. Cooper might not score a lot right away, but she'll also add value as a connective passer and rebounder. Nelson has more competition in the backcourt, especially with some of the transfer additions, and needs to keep growing as a shooter. But her downhill speed and court vision should give her early advantages.
Ashley Dinges and Olivia Rodrigues, Providence
Dinges: 6-1 forward, Nobles/Haverhill, Mass.
Rodrigues: 6-1 forward, Tabor/Dennis Port, Mass.
The Friars rotation is essentially a clean slate. Only one returner, Orlagh Gormley (Quincy, Mass.), averaged more than 10 minutes last season, and Gormley only played 11 games due to injury. With 10 underclassmen on the 14-player roster, Providence is significantly younger and taller (nine players listed at 6-feet-plus).
Dinges and Rodrigues play similar positions, but they're not necessarily competing against each other because their play styles contrast. Dinges is faster and more of a perimeter threat, so I'd expect to see her more on the wing. Rodrigues is stronger, longer and more versatile defensively, so she could draw assignments on forwards and some post players. There's a good chance we'll see at least one, and potentially both, in the rotation as freshmen.
Natalia Hall-Rosa, Seton Hall
6-0 guard/forward
Rivers/Randolph, Mass.
The Pirates barely missed out on the NCAA Tournament last year and graduated three of their starters. This team needs scoring and shooting, which lines up with Hall-Rosa's signature strengths. She must hone in her ball-dominant tendencies to fit more within the flow of the offense, where she won't get as many touches as a freshman. But Hall-Rosa can create off the dribble and has a comfortable shooting stroke. I wouldn't be shocked to see her as an instant-offense spark off the bench, along with sophomore transfer Cam Rust (Worcester Academy/Wakefield, R.I.)
Elyse MacDonough, St. Bonaventure
5-8 guard
Worcester Academy/South Burlington, Vt.
You won't find much more roster turnover than this. After a 6-24 season, the Bonnies saw nine players transfer out of the program and six transfers come in along with six freshmen. With just two returning teammates, MacDonough has a wide open opportunity for minutes. Our NEPSAC Class AA Player of the Year can earn them right away with her college-ready perimeter prowess and decisiveness off the dribble. MacDonough caught fire down the stretch of the prep season last winter in leading Worcester Academy to a AA title. She looks like one of the potential recruiting steals in this class.
Alicia Mitchell, Columbia
6-2 center
Loomis Chaffee/Springfield, Mass.
Columbia soared to the second round of March Madness last spring and has most of its rotation returning, including leading scorer Riley Weiss. But the Lions lacked size, which may have sparked the additions of Mitchell and Missouri transfer Hilke Feldrappe to join reserve Marta Jaama. Columbia has played without a true center, but they might be looking for one, or a change-of-pace option off the bench where Mitchell could come in handy. Our Class A Player of the Year is a dependable finisher around the basket and a super smart defensive anchor. She joins former Nobles star Nasi Simmons (Nobles/Brockton, Mass.) at Columbia.
Madison Oliver, James Madison
6-0 guard/forward
Norwell/Norwell, Mass.
I only made a couple of true longshot bets on this list and Oliver is one. Her wild, drawn-out recruiting process ended up with a spot on a James Madison squad coming off a 30-6 season. The Dukes have some of their top players back, but behind star Peyton McDaniel, there's uncertainty at the wing and forward spots. JMU needs rotation players who can shoot, rebound and fit in smaller roles alongside the veterans. Oliver flashed these skills at Norwell and head coach Sean O'Regan showed interest throughout the winter season. It might take longer than one year for Oliver to find her way, but if there's a surprise impact freshman from this year's recruits, she's my pick.
Kaila Richards, Bucknell
5-7 guard
Hotchkiss/Far Rockaway, N.Y.
The bar for small freshman guards at the collegiate level is normally super high. But Richards might have nailed a program that needs her skills immediately. Bucknell has five guards, including one upperclassmen and two returners who got minutes last year. Richards is a dynamic scorer and playmaker after landing on our All-Class A First Team last season. She should help boost a program that brought back two of its top six scorers from a roster that barely cleared 60 points per game.
Six more players to watch
This 2025 recruiting class is chock full of players who will make a college impact. But some of the best prospects in the class enter crowded rotations, and I'm skeptical about the playing time available for them as freshmen. They still could beat the odds and will likely emerge as contributors in future seasons. Here are six such talents I'm monitoring.
Izzy Adams, Bryant — After reclassifying and enrolling at Bryant all in the last week of the summer, Adams (Dexter Southfield/Walpole, Mass.) has to rapidly readjust mentally to the college lifestyle. But the Bulldogs clearly value her elite court vision and processing by pushing to bring her in this year. It might take Adams time to find her footing, but Bryant needs facilitating guards, so she could assert herself in the rotation even by the end of the winter (or sooner).
Charlotte Adams-Lopez, Brown — One of the best floor generals in MIAA and New England at large, Adams-Lopez (Bishop Feehan/North Attleboro, Mass.) can take her time learning how to run college offense behind some of Brown's veteran leaders. She makes great decisions and loves to keep tempo high in transition, which should fit well with how the game is trending.
Kate Allard, Boston University — BU has plenty of returning depth among its forwards, but Allard (Bedford/Bedford, N.H.) fits the Terriers' style of tall floor-spacers at the position. I'd bet she spends freshman year adding strength and honing her jumper before leveling up as a sophomore.
Grace O'Sullivan, Princeton — O'Sullivan (Rivers/Acton, Mass.) brings so many winning traits: perimeter shooting, defense, toughness at the wing position and overall communication. The Tigers started four sophomores during their run to the NCAA Tournament, plus they'll get back star junior Madison St. Rose after recovery from a torn ACL. There just aren't many minutes available, but O'Sullivan will eventually impact this team.
Christina Pham, Fairfield — Similar to O'Sullivan, Pham (Nobles/South Boston, Mass.) is a fantastic talent — there's just a logjam of guards on this loaded Fairfield roster. But Pham is such an elite shooter; that skill alone could help her and the Stags this season. More likely she spends this winter adjusting to the size and physicality of Division 1 before making a larger impact in 2026-27.
Colleen Phiri, George Washington — The Colonials and new coach Ganiyat Adeduntan did well to nab Phiri late in the winter, with Phiri (Tilton/Haverhill, Mass.) following the change after she had previously committed to Adeduntan and Colgate. They're an experienced group that also added four transfers. Phiri was a do-it-all forward and the engine of Tilton's Class AAA championship, and I think she'll be important to the long-term vision of the program.
